Email: Eastern Region Diabetes Local Research Network
Researchers and Healthcare Professionals
- Site Profiles for Investigators
- When is the right time to talk about research?
- The benefits of being part of the Eastern DRN
- How it works
- How do I get my study into the NIHR DRN portfolio?
- Will the NIHR DRN fund my study?
- Can the DRN provide a letter of support to the grant-funding body?
- Is this support by the NIHR DRN automatic?
- Are DRN staff available to work on my study full time?
- What do I need to do in return?
- Message from Professor Nick Wareham, Clinical Lead
Site Profiles for Investigators
Why come to the Elsie Bertram Diabetes Centre and Clinical Research and Trials Unit in Norwich?
Why come to the Diabetes Centre at West Suffolk Hospital?
When is the right time to talk about research?
A training and education day for paediatric diabetes research teams which took place in Cambridge last month highlighted an important issue for clinical staff and researchers.
Feedback from one of the mums who were invited to the event on the right time to talk about research provided food for thought for guest speaker Professor Mark Peakman from the Department of Immunobiology, King’s College, London.
The mum, Julia, said:
"When your child is first diagnosed there is so much information to take in, and it takes time for your child and the family to get used to the fact that he or she is now living with diabetes and will have it for the rest of their lives. I’d say it takes at least a year to even think about taking part in research".
Offering the newly diagnosed the opportunity to take part in research
Professor Mark Peakman said:
“The point of diagnosis is known as an immunological emergency. At the point of diagnosis there is still some insulin in the pancreas and also we know that T-cells are turning up in places where there is damage – so we know they are important. Clinical staff are very concerned when the diagnosis is given to parents of children with diabetes, and offer support and information. Of course that’s the right thing to do, parents need to be given information, they need support."
Stopping disease progression at the point of diagnosis
"But could we stop the disease progressing at the point of diagnosis? We need to address the way we approach the newly diagnosed, who will be crucial in research investigating this."
Find out more about diabetes research taking place in Eastern England
What are the benefits of being part of the Eastern DRN?
We support clinical research including randomised trials, and devise and implement strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat diabetes.
As part of the network you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Work on a range of academic and commercial studies
- Participate in the development of new ideas and treatments using peer-reviewed protocols.
Once your study is on the NIHR portfolio, you have access to infrastructure support via the NIHR networks.
This infrastructure support includes:
- Clinical support from a team of research staff to minimize the workload of partner centres
- Assessment of feasibility of a research study at an NIHR site and its fit with the regional portfolio
- Assistance with research governance approval applications eg IRAS
- Access to additional advice, support and study promotion
- Extensive training and development opportunities for EDRN partners
- Provision of infrastructure such as pharmacy, pathology, GP practices’ local research funding schemes and other service support costs.
Studies eligible for network support are NIHR registered (adopted) portfolio studies. These are studies which meet the Department of Health criteria and are of relevance to the NHS.
How do I get my study into the NIHR DRN portfolio?
All new diabetes studies should apply for inclusion within the NIHR CRN portfolio via the IRAS system and NIHR CSP in England.
Will the NIHR DRN fund my study?
No. The NIHR DRN is not a research funder. Studies will be managed and run on a day-to-day basis by the study sponsor.
Can the DRN provide a letter of support to the grant-funding body?
Yes. Provide us with a brief summary of the research and we would be happy to discuss.
Is this support by the NIHR DRN automatic?
Only those studies included in the NIHR portfolio will have access to this infrastructure support. It is important that all eligible studies are registered.
Are DRN staff available to work on my study full time?
We support a range of studies in the portfolio and staff work on a number of studies at the same time. So any support for your study is additional to your core research funds and will not be full-time.
What do I need to do in return?
Provide monthly recruitment/accrual data and inform us if study contact details and open and closure dates have changed. You should also provide study promotion updates.
From Professor Nick Wareham, Clinical Lead for the Eastern Region Diabetes Local Research Network (EDRN)
Diabetes is a major health issue. Investment in research is an investment in the future health of the UK population, the future wealth of the nation...and the future “health” of the NHS.
The Diabetes Research Network is one of the government-funded National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network’s topic-specific networks.
One of eight diabetes local research networks in the UK, we are hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Our aim is to achieve benefits for people with diabetes and those at risk of developing diabetes, through excellence in clinical research.
Through the health service infrastructure, we provide support for clinical trials and other well-designed studies in diabetes across the full spectrum of treatment and prevention.
The Eastern region has an active and collaborative diabetes research programme across the acute and primary care trusts, the University of Cambridge and other academic institutions.
Through the EDRN we aim to:
- Increase recruitment into trials and other well-designed studies
- Increase research activity in the region
- Increase opportunities for potential researchers to get involved in studies
- Encourage patient and public involvement in the research process